The search of former President Donald Trump' s Mar-a-Lago club for classified documents and other government records may have come as a surprise to the public. But new legal filings show the investigation that triggered the unprecedented action was months in the making. The documents make clear that Trump had ample opportunity to return the material the government requested — and then subpoenaed — and reveal the sheer quantity of highly sensitive documents he was keeping at the club.
Jan. 18, 2022 NARA received 15 boxes of presidential records that had been stored at Mar-a-Lago — 14 of which, it would later be revealed, contained classified documents. The documents were found mixed in with an assortment of other material, including newspapers, magazines, photos and personal correspondence.
Feb. 9, 2022 Feb. 18, 2022 Feb. 19, 2022 NARA revealed in a letter to a congressional oversight committee that classified information was found in the 15 recovered boxes and confirmed the Justice Department referral. April 12, 2022 NARA informed Trump of its intent to provide the documents to the FBI, at the request of the Justice Department. A Trump representative requested an extension until April 29.